For those of you not in the know, RZN8R (pronounced resonator) is the moniker of Oakland-raised, Brooklyn-based producer and singer Derek Buckwalter.

His debut album CLOSING THE GOLDEN GATE is a collection of future soul tracks with influences of Motown, boom bap hip hop, dance pop, and jazz.

A personal piece of work, the album is about RZN8R’s departure from the San Francisco Bay Area after 27 years to move to Brooklyn.

RZN8R draws from a wide array of influences, fusing his passions for singing, beats, and new thought spirituality to craft lush, deep, and hypnotic grooves.

With a sound will make you go oooh, SF Weekly says RZN8R’s music leaves the listener feeling invigorated and inspired, while DoTheBay says, the expressive electronic beats and hair-raising synths pulsing from RZN8R strike a spiritual nerve.

1. Music to Make You Go Oooh - Intro
2. That’s on You (FT. Kaeli Earle)
3. Aphrodite in Chains (FT. Idea Unsound) - Interlude
4. What’s Good (FT. Xander Beltran)
5. The Window (FT. Dakota) - Interlude
6. Thought of It (FT. Xander Beltran)
7. Which Way Is Up (FT. Kaeli Earle)

Opening on the jazzled, stuttered rhythms and spoken word of Music to Make You Go Oooh - Intro, that is seamlessly followed by the smooth R&B, finger-snapping grooves of That’s on You (which features bassist Kaeli Earle), then comes the synth-tastic Aphrodite in Chains (which features Idea Unsound aka Kris Grant) - Interlude and the free flowing hipsway of What’s Good (featuring touring comedian Xander Beltran).

Up next on the vibrantly exciting new album is the lushly orchestrated The Window (which comes complete with a freestyle from rapper Dakota) - Interlude, which is itself backed by the heartfelt Thought of It (once again featuring comedian Xander Beltran), the new collection coming to a close on the languishing Which Way Is Up (again featuring bassist Kaeli Earle).

As an added musical flourish, RZN8R added layers of West African percussion and other influences to the album. In the ’80s his mother went to the Ivory Coast and Ghana where she studied alternative medicine and health. She brought back boxes of drums that can now be heard throughout Closing The Golden Gate. Another percussion sound heard throughout the album is an alternative shaker made from Puma nails, a gift his father got for him in Peru.

With further plans to release a supplementary album of B-Sides containing other songs he started in SF and will finish his Bushwick studio called Water Under the Bridge, RZN8R will also soon play his first live New York set at the annual Zaneapalooza.

RZN8R has played many venues in the Bay Area including 1015 Folsom, Mezzanine, Neck of the Woods, Brick & Mortar, Bottom of the Hill, The Knockout, PianoFight, Warehouse 416, Madrone Art Bar, 20 Mission, and events including Noise Pop, Sofar Sounds, Oakland Drops Beats, Now Music SF, and GlowCon, as well as SXSW in Austin. He has opened for artists including A-Trak, Chromeo, Duckwrth, Martin Luther, ATTLAS, ARMNHMR, Anamanaguchi, Monster Rally, TV Girl, and Krystyn Pixton.

Official Website